Slideshow: The Life of a Chloé Dress

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In every collection there is a Dress, a piece that captures the spirit, the message, the intent of a season. At Chloé, there was look No. 21: a breezy white slip of a thing, an elevation of a simple, throw-it-on T-shirt dress to something elegant and glamorous. It’s a perfect distillation of what that house, which is especially strong right now under creative director Clare Waight Keller, is all about. So we decided to track it back to its inception.

Above, Keller and stylist Camille Bidault-Waddington at a preshow fitting.

*This article originally appeared in the February 17, 2014 issue of New York Magazine.

The Inspiration The first sketches for the Chloé dress, part of this spring’s collection. “I wanted the whole collection to capture a new ... The Inspiration The first sketches for the Chloé dress, part of this spring’s collection. “I wanted the whole collection to capture a new feel for flou,” says Keller, using the French word for a kind of sartorial looseness, the flow of a garment, the rustle of silk. “It’s such an important part of the house, and I wanted to see if I could figure out a way to make dresses with a sense of movement and modernity that are still flou.” Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Fabric Test To create the fabric, Keller and her team put chiffon, mousseline, and georgette through a series of “plissé trials” to fi... The Fabric Test To create the fabric, Keller and her team put chiffon, mousseline, and georgette through a series of “plissé trials” to figure out how to get the most free-spirited and easy effect, to find a pleat that would create volume without bulk. Photo: Lauren Fleishman

Resulting in: The winner: a Japanese polyester that looks and feels like silk (polyester is required to hold the pleat). Once the fabric was chos... Resulting in: The winner: a Japanese polyester that looks and feels like silk (polyester is required to hold the pleat). Once the fabric was chosen, a series of pieces was created around it. Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Right Fit The dress being fitted on the house model. “It’s about getting the right proportion, because the right proportion will give a sense... The Right Fit The dress being fitted on the house model. “It’s about getting the right proportion, because the right proportion will give a sense of ease, that lovely effortless feel that I wanted for the whole collection.”
Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Right Model When casting for the show, Keller decided that she liked the dress better on a shorter (five-foot-nine) model. “Diana [Moldovan] ... The Right Model When casting for the show, Keller decided that she liked the dress better on a shorter (five-foot-nine) model. “Diana [Moldovan] is one of the shorter girls, and there’s just something more charming in that proportion. It becomes more dreamy, cooler, less of a statement piece.”
Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Match-up Adjustments being made on Moldovan’s body.
Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Small Intervention Because a breezy, relaxed feel is the message, accessories, makeup, and hair were kept to a minimum. Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Public Unveiling On the runway in Paris, and in the look book from the show. Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Public Veiling Back under plastic and off to the showroom.
Photo: Lauren Fleishman

The Ad Shoot The campaign for the dress was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in the Hamptons at a location selected for its light.... The Ad Shoot The campaign for the dress was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in the Hamptons at a location selected for its light. “I wanted to see it in a more real setting,” says Keller, “and capture that feeling of the last few days of summer, and I wanted it on Lou Doillon, because she epitomizes that young, French-English thing. She’s a mother, she has a career, she’s boho and modern. Just, I hope, like the dress!”